Two Republican lawmakers Reps. Paul Tittl and Shae Sortwell didn’t buy it when they were told by Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers that they couldn’t put up a Christmas tree in the Wisconsin Capitol building. Who would’ve thought liberals would actually try to make a move with the Grinch’s playbook?
Every year, the Department of Administration sets up a traditional evergreen Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made by school children. However, the building has been closed off to the public this year due to COVID-19. Gov. Evers, who controls the DOA, still refused to set one up as a display for the other lawmakers and staff still working in the building. This didn’t sit well with Tittle and Sortwell.
Rep. Paul Tittle wrote a series of tweets talking about why he decided to put up a Christmas tree in the Capitol for the staff to enjoy. He wanted everyone to have a tree to look forward to this year and feel a sense of hope. Kids usually get excited and look forward to making their own ornaments and sending them to the offices to decorate the Wisconsin Capitol tree. They invited children to make decorations and send them to Republicans to help decorate the tree this year.
“This fall, the Governor decided there wasn’t going to be a ‘holiday tree’, or as most call it a Christmas tree, in the Capitol rotunda, Rep. Sortwell and I thought that was a shame,” Rep Tittle wrote on Twitter, attaching a link to the tree decorating Youtube video.
The two lawmakers had applied for a permit to place a “historical display” in the rotunda from Dec. 1 through Jan. 6. They had not disclosed it was a Christmas tree and was denied the request by Dan Blackdeer, chief of the Capitol Police, the next day. He argued that the DOA can only issue event or exhibit permits and has been denying all permit requests since the building has been closed. Only the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board can approve decorative items.
DOA Assistant Deputy Secretary Olivia Hwang emailed the lawmakers that a traditional Christmas tree doesn’t need a permit since the DOA owns the building and recommended they display a tree or other holiday decorations in their own offices. Liberals go through quite a lot of work to try and cancel Christmas.
Tittle and Sortwell put up the seven-foot artificial Christmas tree on the ground floor anyway. It has two signs on it: “The magic of Christmas is not in the presents but in his presence” and “This tree belongs to Representative Tittl and Representative Sortwell. Do not move without prior written approval from these Representatives.”
Remember when Christmas festivities were fun and liberals weren’t trying to shove their radical politics and policies down everyone’s throats?
